Banned Books Week Giveaway Hop!

 

I knew as soon as I signed up for this hop that I'd want to give away a copy of:

 

The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

 

Because I love this book to infinity and beyond.

 

So...yeah. That's what I'm giving away!

 

BUT. If you already have Perks, have already read Perks, or are just not interested in Perks (which, really, you should be, because this book is something that I think everyone should read), then you can pick another banned book. I don't care much WHICH book you choose, just so long as it's been banned. Here's a list thingy with some options for ya!

 

But I know we all want Perks, right? ;)

 

Okay, now just read on for the details so you can enter AHHHHHH

 

Detailsss:

- One winner will be randomly chosen to receive one of the books listed above.

- This giveaway is international. Because I like you.

- As always, my giveaway policy applies. PLEASE read it before you enter.

- Enter through the Rafflecopter below!

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

Thanks for stopping by!

 

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♥Jessica(:

Review: Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell♥

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell
Release Date: September 10, 2013
Format: Hardcover, 433 pages
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Source: Publisher in exchange for an honest review

Description from Goodreads:
From the author the New York Times bestseller Eleanor & Park

A coming-of-age tale of fan fiction, family and first love.

Cath is a Simon Snow fan.

Okay, the whole world is a Simon Snow fan . . .

But for Cath, being a fan is her life — and she’s really good at it. She and her twin sister, Wren, ensconced themselves in the Simon Snow series when they were just kids; it’s what got them through their mother leaving.

Reading. Rereading. Hanging out in Simon Snow forums, writing Simon Snow fan fiction, dressing up like the characters for every movie premiere.

Cath’s sister has mostly grown away from fandom, but Cath can’t let go. She doesn’t want to.

Now that they’re going to college, Wren has told Cath she doesn’t want to be roommates. Cath is on her own, completely outside of her comfort zone. She’s got a surly roommate with a charming, always-around boyfriend, a fiction-writing professor who thinks fan fiction is the end of the civilized world, a handsome classmate who only wants to talk about words . . . And she can’t stop worrying about her dad, who’s loving and fragile and has never really been alone.

For Cath, the question is: Can she do this?

Can she make it without Wren holding her hand? Is she ready to start living her own life? Writing her own stories?

And does she even want to move on if it means leaving Simon Snow behind?

Goodness gracious, Rainbow Rowell. Is it your goal to write such awesomeness that it consumes the reader into forgetting about...well, everything? Because I seriously slacked on a bunch of stuff while reading this book. BECAUSE IT IS AMAZEBALLS.

Now that I think about it, that probably was Rainbow's goal. It's an author thing.

But anyway! This book. Take every positive word ever (seriously, every. Single. One.) and I want to say it about this book. Amazing, fantastic, wonderful, excellent, spectacular, and my personal favorite when talking about this book--phenomenal. But I should probably explain WHY I'm saying these things, right? That's always the hard part, putting words to the beauty that is a phenomenal story.

Okay, so, first off, we have Rainbow's writing. Which had me. It had me from the very first page. And I don't even mean the first page of the first chapter, I mean that search page with all the Simon Snow info on it. Because that was so cool! But then the first sentence of the first chapter pretty much kept me in for the long run. "There was a boy in her room." Boys in rooms may or may not be a weakness of mine...

From the first page on, I was SO INTO this book. I kid you not, I fell in love with Fangirl around page 20. Which is usually silly because not much ever happens in the first 20 pages. (Well, usually.) But I couldn't help it. I was honestly worried that my love would fade as the book went on, but it didn't. This is one of those books that I purposely spent too long reading because it was so fabulous I didn't want it to end.

And then there are the characters. (That was a smooth shift, eh?) Cath is our leading lady and she rocked. A huge part of my love for her stems from how easily I could relate to Cath. She keeps to herself, and spends a lot of her time on the internet. I'm not saying I don't have a life, but honestly--I spend more than my fair share of time doing...well...THIS. ;) In some ways, Cath was a wee bit annoying, because she WAS so relatable, whenever she did something that I personally would NOT have done, I got somewhat frustrated, but I got over it quickly. I just can't stay mad at Cath. Plus, there is Levi hanging around...

I love book boys. We all know this. But there are a few that I have specific things for. Andrew Parrish is perfection. Guy Chambers is My Guy. Dean Holder is Giggle-Swoon. Aidan MacRae is the guy the word "swoon" was invented for. Well, Levi? He's my person. Wholly and completely, he is my person. I have a list of reasons why, but I realized it at one part where he was arguing with Cath, and then after when they were patching things up, he apologized for yelling at her. Cath was like "You didn't yell," and then Levi was like "Well, I raised my voice." People who know me SUPER well probably understand where I'm going with this, but most of you only know me via text on a screen, so I'll explain: I don't like yelling. Or loud voices. I like calmness. Which is super funny, because I get loud sometimes, when I'm excited. Maybe when I'm mad, too, but I've never given it much thought, so I'm not sure. But then Levi was equating raising his voice with yelling and I was all like OMG THAT IS SO ME. I DO THAT! And then I started a nice list of all the reasons he's my person. It's pretty hefty.

Wow, I got rambly there...but Levi is honestly fantastic. I was already getting into (good natured) Twitter arguments about him before I was even halfway through the book. He is so worth it. He's not a cliché at all, which made me incredibly happy. He's not a bad boy, but he's not a goody-goody, either. He's uber nice, though. I wish he were real.

But there ARE other characters other than Levi...look at him, dominating this review... Reagan! I kind of wanted to not like Reagan a little. I'm a jealous person like that. I ended up loving her just as much as I loved Cath, however. I wish I had a real-life Reagan, too, to be friends with. I need ALL OF THE PEOPLE in this book to come to life and be my besties. Please? But wait. There are more characters. A couple I'm not even going to comment on, because I don't care about them. They were great in the story and while I was reading, but meh. Courtney and Nick are just meh to me. Wren, however, I'm going to talk about. Because I don't like her. She was selfish and mean to Cath for no good reason. She got better over time, but that only lessened my dislike for her fractionally.

**Oh, and this is me breaking in to say that I LOVE the names in this book. Cather and Wren was something that made me laugh. I found it cute. Levi has always been a name I loved, and Reagan is so pretty! Okay, back to the actual review now....**

Now, for my happy-dance aspect of most books: ROMANCE! Even when there wasn't anything actually romantic going on, I was swooning for Levi. He was sweet and Cath was so innocent, it just WORKED. They are one of my favorite book couples ever. I kid you not--they're in the top ten, easy. Oh, and I posted a little swoon-worthy moment from Fangirl over on YA Bound for Swoon Thursday. So you should, you know, check that out if you missed it.

A big thing about this book is that it's about a girl in her first year of college. I mean, there's more to it than that. WAAAY more. But my point is that it's a New Adult book, really. I know there are a bunch of people who thought the idea of New Adult was cool, but can't find anything they really like in that category right now. Well, THIS BOOK. YOU NEED IT. It does the New Adult thing so, so, SO well. I think it's my favorite NA book, to be honest. I think it's technically categorized as YA, though. Still, if you're going by age group, this is NA. And it is one of the best out there.

Rainbow Rowell has without a doubt written one of my favorite books of 2013. Fangirl is funny, well-written, and positively phenomenal. I was both sad and happy when I made it to the last page, because the book was over but it was so completely amazing I couldn't keep the smile away. This was somehow the first book I read by Rainbow Rowell, but it will most definitely not be my last. I am officially a Rainbow Rowell fangirl! ;)

♥Jessica(:

Stuck in a Good Book Giveaway Hop!

 

 

It's been a while since the last time I participated in a giveaway hop, right? But I'm baaaaack! ;)

 

The last book I was stuck in...this was probably the easiest decision I've ever had to make regarding what to giveaway:

 

 

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

 

Oh sweet baby mama of Jesus. This book is so fan-freaking-tastic, I can't even. My review is going up sometime in the next 24 hours, and once it's up I'll totally link it here. (I just linked it there!) But until I get that posted for you guys, I'm going to tell you a few reasons why you need this book in your life. Okay?

 

1. YOU NEED THIS BOOK IN YOUR LIFE. Oh, I already said that? Well I'm saying it again. It is one of the truest things I will ever tell you.

 

2. If you aren't a fan of new adult, but want to be, this book has got your back. (I'm leaving this one as is because I explain in my review!)

 

3. Levi. You know how you need this book in your life? Well, you also need Levi. He's not a bad boy. He's not a geek, either. He's simply Levi and I love the crap out of him. He is my person. I think you'll like him.

 

4. Rainbow Rowell has serious writing skillz. For real, the Z is sooooo necessary there. Because her writing awesomeness is that serious. Have I mentioned that I love it?!

 

5. Look at this swoon I posted on YA Bound.

 

Okay, now instead of me sitting here fangirling over this book all day (pun possibly intended), I'm going to actually give you the details! Read on!

 

Deeetsss:

- One winner will be randomly selected to receive a copy of Fangirl.

- This giveaway is INTERNATIONAL. Woot!

- My giveaway policy applies. Please get familiar with it if you wanna enter my giveaways.

- Enter through the Rafflecopter below!

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

Thanks for stopping by and entering!



♥Jessica(:

In Which Kat Kennedy Guest Posts About Co-Blogging. And Crap.

Y'all know Cuddlebuggery, yes? If you don't then you need to check out the blog. It's super awesome. But that's not the point today--the point is that one of the bloggers from Cuddlebuggery was cool enough to write a guest post for me to post and for all you lovely people to read and enjoy and OMG YAY AMIRITE?

You may or may not know Kat Kennedy, and you may or may not have seen her around. But really, you HAVE probably seen her around. That chick is everywhere. But anyway, here's her guest post on co-blogging and those type of shenanigans. Oh, and crap. Did I mention that she mentions crap?

~~~

Have you guys ever received an email from Jessica Baker?  Most hilarious thing ever. Her random use of all caps is a magical thing that everyone should witness at least once.  But anyway, onto the work part.  I offered to guest post here for Jessica because she’s fabulous. I asked her to think of what she wanted me to talk about.  Here are the options I received:

a)      Encyclopaedias

b)      Having a blog partner

c)       Being snarky

And

d)      Crap

Out of all those options, I think I’m going to go with b) Having a blog partner.

Having a blog partner is a wonderful thing.  For real, Steph is the best person ever. She lets me rant on the blog with almost free reign, she handles authors and blog tours that I’m too lazy to do, she keeps the blog working and she is my soul twin.

For real, I met Steph only shortly before we started the blog together.  So it wasn’t like we were friends before we made the agreement to be blog buddies.  We were random acquaintances who teamed up to fight evil, or something like that.  But, what started as a business agreement, quickly became one of the deepest, most important relationships (apart from partners, parents, children etc).  She’s my twin, and we are now life buddies.  We message each other first thing in the morning, all through the day, and say goodnight to each other before we go to sleep. 

Being so deeply in love, as Steph and I are, is obviously an ideal that not everyone can achieve.  We’re living the dream here, guys.  However, we did make some very conscious decisions before we started our love affair/bloggermance, and during our initial relationship, that I think were helpful.

1)      We were very clear about boundaries and expectations

Steph and talked very clearly and exchanged numerous emails. We made agreements on the style of our blog, what our direction, niche and style was going to be.  Most of these things we stuck to, or negotiated over time.  Others, like our agreement that we’d be casual and only post when we felt like it was tossed out the window when we both realized we were complete workaholics.  The important thing is to have a plan about how you’re going to operate your blog, what it’s going to look like, and what should happen to it should one of you decide to quit.

2)      Bond Your Pants Off

Steph and I love each other.  We are both in similar situations in life – we both have young kids of similar age, similar backgrounds and life stories.  So we’re less blogging buddies and more like two people just doing life together.  We bonded our pants off (literally.  If we end up in bed together one day, it will be a surprise to no one), but we also respected each other’s differences and focus on all the things that bring us together.

3)      Let Go of the Control

Having a blog partner, a partner FOR LIFE, is all about letting go of control, collaborating and accepting that compromise is the spice of life.  I can’t tell you how many times Steph and I have disagreed on bloggery things.  But the blog is always better when we both relinquish control, and chill. A coblogger is not someone who joins your blog and does all the work for you.  A coblogger is someone to build a blog with.  Steph and I have had a long struggle.  She wants us to experiment with memes, I’m violently opposed.  It is the only argument about the blog we’ve continually had for the almost-two-years we’ve been working on the blog.  But everything else we’ve found a compromise on, or just plain given in to each other out of respect.

So there you go, that’s my recipe for a good blogger relationship.  I don’t know how helpful I am.  Steph and I are this amazing team, and I can’t honestly say it’s because of anything we did.  We just fell in love with each other.  It was an automatic chemistry, but one I’ll never regret.

So there you go.  Love you, Steph!  My honey pumpkin!

Thanks, Jess, for having me on the blog!

~~~

 

BOOM. That's it. Great, right? I found it amusing. Then again, I find everything Kat says amusing. Informative, too, of course, but mostly amusing.

 

Thank you so much to Kat for taking the time to write a guest post for me! And you. But mostly me.

 

So...do YOU have anything to say? Any opinions? What do you think? TELL ME. Seriously, I'd like to know.

Oh, and, fun fact: I linked to Cuddlebuggery and Kat's Twitter up at the top of this post. Clickety-click and join in on the randomness that IS Kat Kennedy.

 

♥Jessica(:

Waiting on Wednesday #21 ♥ The Last Forever by Deb Caletti

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine!

 

The Last Forever by Deb Caletti

Expected Publication: April 1, 2014

Publisher: Simon Pulse

 

Description from Goodreads:

Endings and beginnings sit so close to each other that it’s sometimes impossible to tell which is which.

Nothing lasts forever, and no one gets that more than Tessa. After her mother died, it’s all she can do to keep her friends, her boyfriend, her happiness from slipping away. And then there’s her dad. He’s stuck in his own daze, and it’s so hard to feel like a family when their house no longer seems like a home.

Her father’s solution? An impromptu road trip that lands them in a small coastal town at Tessa’s grandmother’s. Despite all the warmth and beauty there, Tessa can’t help but feel even more lost.

Enter Henry Lark. He understands the relationships that matter. And more importantly, he understands her. A secret stands between them, but Tessa’s willing to do anything to bring them together—because Henry may just be her one chance at forever.

 

Why I'm waiting on this:

Deb Caletti is fantastic. Her book Stay makes me feel all kinds of happy inside. So of course I'm going to be all over her next one! Henry Lark sounds like someone I'll like ;) Oh, and ROAD TRIP! Ahhhh. Did I mention that Deb's last book made me cry? I'm not even sure why, but The Story of Us pretty much killed my emotions. But...yeah. I love the author, the book sounds like it's going to be good, and Henry Lark interests me. That's enough reason to be waiting on a book, eh?

 

I kind of want that pretty cover on my shelf, too.

 

What do you think of my pick? What are you waiting on this week? If you made a post, leave a link so I can see!

 

♥Jessica(:

Top Ten Books On My Fall 2013 TBR List

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by the wonderful people over at The Broke and the Bookish!

 

I kind of want to read ALL OF THE BOOKS. But these are my top ten.

 

My Top Ten Books On My Fall 2013 TBR List:

 

Sentinel by Jennifer L. Armentrout

 

Come on, you know you saw that coming. The ending to this series is so bittersweet. I'm excited for more of my boy Seth, and the lovey dovey Aiden stuff, but I mean...it's going to be OVER. Ouch. And can I point out the first line of this synopsis? "It's a beautiful day for a war." That makes me go like WHOA. I think this is going to be fun. It also may kill me.

 

 

Crash Into You by Katie McGarry

 

Isaiah's story! I'm so happy he gets one, and I'm on the blog tour, so I'm going to get to read it at some point in time in the next few months. Thank goodness for that. Awww, Isaiah.

 

 

Time After Time by Tamara Ireland Stone

 

Time Between Us was fantastic. So, a sequel in Bennett's POV? I am so there!

 

 

Never Fade by Alexandra Bracken

 

The Darkest Minds is one of my favorite books, so obviously I'm pumped for the sequel. I've had this on my Kindle for a little while, actually, since I somehow managed to get approved on NetGalley. I've been too scared to actually read it, though. I probably won't hold out much longer since the release date is less than a month away. AHHH!

 

 

Wild Cards by Simone Elkeles

 

I was recently re-reading How to Ruin Your Boyfriend's Reputation and now I have Simone Elkeles on my mind. Avi is one of my favorites. This series has absolutely nothing to do with that, but it's by the same author, so I'm in the mood for it. I'll probably get to this one sometime in the not-so-distant future, too, since the release date is coming up.

 

 

Alienated by Melissa Landers

 

Romantic YA sci-fi. In what universe would I not give this a try? And I just got it on my Kindle from NetGalley today, so I'm super excited about it. I've heard great things from a few of my favorite blogger friends!

 

 

The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson

 

I don't actually have this book yet or anything, but I want to read it so bad. I'll have to see what I can do to get my hands on it sometime soon! I'm mighty curious about this Hector fellow...? ;)

 

 

Sweet Evil by Wendy Higgins

 

How many lists have I put this book on? I seriously need to sit my booty down and READ it already. For real, though, I was just looking at the book last night and I honestly thing I'm going to work up the courage to read this one soon.

 

 

Other by Karen Kincy

 

I love shifter books. Particularly werewolves. And from what I understand, this book has that. Which means I MUST read it, yes?

 

 

Amarok by Angela J. Townsend

 

Another wolf. I can't help it!

 

 

That's my list, so tell me:

What do you think of my picks? What would you put on your list? If you made a post, link me up!

 

♥Jessica(:

Blog Tour: Recklessly by A.J. Sand (Book Spotlight)

Recklessly by A.J. Sand
Release Date: August 27, 2013
Series: Documentary #3
Buy It: Amazon

Description from Goodreads:
You first met singer Kai White’s best friend, Wes Elliott, in “Documentary," now get his story in "Recklessly"…

Wes Elliott just met his match…and she might actually burn his entire world down.

Surfing and sex. This is Wes Elliott's life. And it's just the way he likes it. `
After seeing his parents stay in a loveless marriage his entire life, and burying away a heartbreak from his past, he knows where romance is best left: crappy chick movies. He'd rather lust and eventually leave, and that's exactly what the plan was when he met Lana Langston.

Except…turns out she’s only in it for the thrills, too. She's always only in it for the thrills: life in the literal fast lane on her motorcycle, and the hot nights in forbidden places without the awkward talks in the mornings after. She's Wes Elliott in way tighter jeans.

So, this should be perfect, right?

But the more time Wes spends with her, the more he wants the nights to turn into mornings. And maybe even longer. Suddenly, it isn't so perfect for him anymore. And the things he thought were buried are digging themselves up.

Now Wes is in a lot of trouble.

He’s falling in love with the one girl who might be a bigger risk than even a guy who gets barreled by the most dangerous waves in the world is willing to take on.

Can Wes and Lana figure out a way to make it work? Or is he headed for something far more reckless?

About the Author

A.J. Sand grew up an only child whose parents bought her many, many books to keep her busy, so it was only natural that she would start writing her own stories. She is the author of “Documentary” and “Remake.” She lives just outside of Washington, D.C.

 

Author Links:

Blog | Twitter | Facebook 

 

 

♥Jessica(: